No advisor has asked me about the plight of the prisoners in The Shawshank Redemption. But I am frequently asked what an advisor should expect as they leave their current firm to transition to the RIA model.

The overlords of clickbait said I need to make this a highly partisan article to maximize readership.

You absolutely can start your own RIA even if you are not yet or never desire to become 100% fee-based.

This question is not only one of the most frequent questions I get from advisors, but it is also one of my favorites.